Exercise Ball Workout

For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links.

Trends come and trends go, especially concerning fitness equipment.  Do you remember the Thigh Master?  Unfortunately, I do.  But, one piece of equipment that has stood the test of time for me is my exercise ball.  I've had this ball for eight years now.  I've used it regularly for exercise and it got me through 3 pregnancies with sciatica. Today, I'd like to share  with you my favorite exercises on the ball!  Warm up for five minutes, grab your exercise ball, and join me!  

(The workout should take 25-30 minutes.)

Exercise Ball Workout

Do 12 reps of each exercise, unless the exercise says "Hold," in which case, hold for 30 seconds.  Repeat each set three times!

Set 1:
(Exercises 1-4)

1.  Sit ups on ball.  Sit on ball and roll slighly so your lower back is firmly on the ball.  Sit up, with neck relaxed and core engaged and repeat.

2.  One-legged squat.  Balance one leg on ball.  Squat with other leg, making sure knees don't go past toes.  Complete reps, then switch sides and repeat.

3.  Leg raise.  Start with ball on ground.  Grip ball between calves.  Lift ball until feet point to ceiling (or sky!), lower and repeat.

4.  Plank hold on ball.  Feet shoulder width apart.  Hold ball on both sides and slowly walk out until you are in the plank position. Hold.

Set 2:
(Exercises 5-8)

5.  Adductor Squeeze. Lay on side.  Hold ball between calves.  Lift ball slightly while squeezing inner thighs and lower back down.  Complete reps and repeat on the other side.

6.  Back Extension.  Lay on ball on stomach, with feet wide for stability.  Extend back up and lower back down until stomach is laying on ball again.  Repeat.

7.  Pike hold.  Start with feet on ball and body in a plank position.  Roll feet slowly up on ball so your bum is pointed in the air and lower head down.  Hold. (If this is difficult, and legs don't go as straight, hold with legs bent and work towards straightening legs.)

8.  Glute bridge.  Lay down with arms down by sides and feet on ball.  Keep body straight, engage core and glutes as you move your pelvis up and back down again.  Repeat.

Set 3:
(Exercises 9-12)

9.  Glute Tuck.  Start in the same position as the glute bridge.  Roll feet on ball until it almost "tucks" under legs.  Return to start position and repeat.

10.  Pushups on ball.  Start in standing position.  Roll your body out on ball until you are in the pushup position.  To make it easier, you can roll out just to your knees, if needed.  Push up and down on ball as you would regular pushups. 

11.  Side lunges.  Place foot and calf on ball.  Lunge down, making sure feet are straight and knees do not go over toes.  Go back up and repeat.

12. Back Stretch.  Start with bum against the ball and legs in a 90 degree position.  Lay back on ball slowly while walking your feet out so your legs are stretched.  Continue the stretch with your arms stretching out and back down towards the ground.  Hold. 

Cool down!  

I hope you enjoy this workout!  Please feel free to comment and give me feedback on how this workout went for you!

If you'd like to purchase a ball similar to the one I have, please click on this link!

For more info on how to pick out the right size ball for your height, click here!

How to Be a Better Mom

Recognize that you are just a mess.  And so is almost every other mom.

I'm coming out of a busy, but wonderful week of coordinating VBS.  My house is a disaster area.  Toys are out of place.  Hampers are full.  Clean laundry awaits being put away (because that is the hardest part!).  I have stacks of curriculum to go through.  My desk is covered with piles of organized chaos.  Weeds with killer thorns have taken over half my garden and I can't seem to keep them under control myself.  My lawn needs to be mowed in the backyard.  My refrigerator needs to be cleaned.  Glaciers of ice have taken over the deep freezer in the garage.  Oh!  The garage!  We won't even go there...

With all this said, I have seen so many pins pinned and posts posted on how everyone does things just so cute, organized and creative.  "How to organize your homeschool room."  "How to organize your kitchen."  "10 steps to always have a clean home." "How to get perfect abs, butt, or arms." "How to conquer laundry once and for all."  "How to create the perfect routine."

All the pins and posts on how everyone is living their life perfectly can start to weigh on a woman.  The truth is, though, as moms, most of us are a hot mess, apart from the grace of God.  Or maybe I'm the only one who struggles with getting one area of her life "together" only for everything else to fall apart.  If I get all my workouts in the week, laundry starts to pile up.  If I spend more time with my kids outside of our home doing field trips and play dates, the dishes start to pile up.

Realize imperfection is okay.

I admit, since having kids, I am not the most organized person.  That may be an understatement.  I thrive on creativity.  I would rather make something cute and creative than clean my kitchen.  So, it is a challenge to me to ignore those beautiful posts on the most perfect, creative, absolutely beautiful ____(fill in the blank)____.  I'm on a few homeschool Facebook groups and in the last week everyone has been sharing their homeschool rooms.  I was glad to see another mother spoke up and basically said what I started thinking.  I am absolutely not there yet.  And that's okay.  I will get there by September 1st when I start school and my homeschool room won't look like the cover of  a magazine.  And that's okay.

Stay-at-home moms, homeschool moms, work-at-home moms, and working moms----MOMS!  Please, please, please, remember that you don't have to live up to those posts on Pinterest.  Your child doesn't have to have a cute chalkboard stating his/her name, grade, favorite book, and career choice every first and last day of school year.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it certainly isn't necessary.

You don't have to have a clean house all the time.  Your kitchen doesn't have to be the picture of perfect organization all of the time.  Order, cuteness, and cleanliness are nice, but it doesn't make you any better of a person.  Being organized may help the day go by in a more orderly fashion, but if you feel pressure to get organized, but never can seem to, and it absolutely stresses you out, find a way to live in your organized chaos.  It's okay not to be organized all the time.

You don't have to have the perfect ____(fill in the desirable body part here)___.  You don't have to strictly follow any certain big name workout program or diet to a "T."  Don't feel the pressure to have flat abs and a perfectly round rump.  Or to restrict yourself from sugar or bread for months.  Just be healthy.  Do what works for you.  Don't make excuses.  Still challenge yourself, but if you fail, don't beat yourself up.   If you don't fit in a workout today, that is okay.  Workout tomorrow.  It's okay to fail. It will happen.  And that's where you learn to grow and persevere.

Now when it comes to being imperfect, we still must address laziness.  Or being distracted.  I am challenged by being distracted throughout my day by many unnecessary things (i.e. all those creative Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram posts).  This makes me weary for unnecessary reasons, and then I feel my weary self start to feel a bit on the lazy side, perhaps discouraged by all the "perfection" out there.  Avoid laziness, but be mindful of weariness.

Realize your need for rest for your weary soul.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

And when you are weary, come to Jesus.  Pray for grace.  Pray for peace.  Pray for contentment.  Pray for perseverance, not perfection.   Pray.  Pray.  Pray.  I am constantly reminded how valuable prayer is.  It is a way we can remind ourselves and others that we are not in this alone.  We can stop and pray to the God of all the universe.  And, guess what, He hears His people's prayers!

Mothers, our burden can be so heavy.  Raising little people up can be such a difficult task, especially with the added pressures of all the cuteness and creativity bursting out of the seams of social media.  I admit, when I'm overwhelmed, I am tempted just to go on Pinterest and look at all the people who have it all together and wishfully hope that someday that would be me.   Instead of Pinterest, PRAY.  Pray for yourself and for other moms.  We all know we need prayer!

Realize you can't be a good mom apart from Christ. 

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins."

Romans 3:23-25 (ESV)

I love the verse above because it really is the Gospel in a nutshell.  We fall short of God's glory and perfection because of sin.  That is where Christ comes in and his sacrifice is the ultimate picture of perfect grace.

Now, I must apologize for the title of this post.  It's a little tongue-in-cheek.  I'm not really going to tell you how to become a better mom. I knew it may get your attention because the truth is we all want to be a better mom.  We all want to be better.  We can't be better apart from Christ.  And, even then, we will struggle with sin and imperfection.

NOTHING within ourselves can make us BETTER moms!  

But, there is good news!!!  Despite the imperfection we struggle with, Christ lived a perfect life, and died so we can be forgiven.   Once we embrace that, we can't be separated from God's love.  And that is the story of grace.  Perfect grace.  That is the truth I need to be reminded of daily.

Please know that there is nothing wrong with getting tips or hints for how to do things from the posts on social media, but if you find that they are burdening you, please try and back away from them.  You will benefit in knowing that Christ can take those burdens if you come to Him!

I hope this post encouraged you.  It was encouraging for me to write.  Do you struggle with the pressures of the creativity found on social media?  Please take rest in knowing that you can come to the God of all the universe and tell Him your struggles.  And He will listen.  Everyday.  All day long.

20 Scrumptious Snacks

(For your convenience, this post contains affiliate links.)

Sometimes you just need a snack.  When trying to meet your nutritional needs and goals, it's important to keep snacks healthy and full of protein.  Here are TWENTY of my favorite easy snack ideas and recipes!  This is a cheat sheet from two years of my Instagram and blog tried and true snacks and recipes!  Enjoy!

1.  Honey Roasted Chickpeas with pear wedges.

2.  Cheese Stick wrapped in ham or turkey and paired with apple wedges.

3.  Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries (recipe below).

4.  Cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices with homemade Tzatziki.

5.  Raisin Bread (Ezekiel) toasted and spread with Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, sprinked with unsweetened coconut on top.  Strawberries on the side.

6.  Caprese Salad (Layer tomato slices, basil leaves, and fresh mozzarella.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

7.  Cucumber slices (or spiraled) and cottage cheese, sprinkled with fresh dill.

8.  Chocolate Peanut Butter Oats.  1/4 c quick oats, 1/2 scoop Chocolate Whey Protein, 1 Tsp Peanut Butter, and to top: peanut butter Puffins cereal, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and unsweetened coconut flakes.

9.  1/2 a banana drizzled with peanut butter and topped with unsweetened coconut and a few semi-sweet chocolate chips.

10.  Get your afternoon chocolate fix on a hot afternoon with a Chocolate Mint Smoothie. Recipe: Blend 10 oz unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 12 mint leaves, 1 1/2 very ripe bananas, 2 scoops chocolate whey protein, 2 Tbsp chia seed, and 3 cups frozen spinach until smooth. Serves 2.

11.  Parmesan Herb Roasted Chickpeas with tomato slices.

12.  Questbars.  They are so yummy and pretty clean ingredients!  Low in sugar! Try this:

Brownie Quest Bar + coconut Greek yogurt + dark chocolate + toasted almond slivers.

13.  Pumpkin Mug Cake.  This recipe is quick, filling, and healthy!

14.  A handful of pistachios with an apple.

15. 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter with celery sticks sprinkled with raisins or chocolate chips ("ants on a log").

16.  Cumbers, tomatoes, and chives, chopped and tossed with feta and dill.

17.  Cottage cheese paired with pineapples or kiwi, or any fruit you'd like!

18.  1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter with apple wedges.

19.  Almond Joy Greek Yogurt. Mix 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt and 1/2 scoop/serving chocolate protein powder until smooth. Top with 2 tsp unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips, and a few slivered almonds.

20.  "Protein Poppers" paired with a fruit or a veggie.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

From @mindovermunch

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup cream cheese or neufchatel cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2 tsp stevia (more or less to taste)
1 graham cracker sheet crushed (optional for topping)
Strawberries, tops removed and inside cut out (I also cut off the tips so they would stand flat!) 

PROCEDURE
🍓Combine cream cheese, vanilla, greek yogurt and stevia in food processor/blender until well combined.
🍓Chill mixture for 1 hour.
🍓Pipe into strawberries (about 1tsp each, depending on size)
🍓Sprinkle graham cracker crust on top.

NUTRITION
Filling will fill around 30 strawberries, each one is around 10 calories!

How to Stay Fit in a Marriage

It has been three years since we were able to take our first "after" photos.  In those three years, my husband and I have continued to face the challenge of staying fit as a marriage couple.  I'm sure this could apply to any couple, but because marriage is where I am coming from, that is what I am going with!

For the most part, my weight stayed the same until a year ago when I had surgery and had to recover from that, restricting me from any exercise.  I then was busy with projects, and due to the physical toll that took on my body, I got sick and stayed sick for three months. This is also when my husband's weight went up.  What does this tell me?  When I am fit, he is fit.  We keep each other healthy.  This could put a lot of pressure on one spouse or the other.  You could look at it as an advantage of having a live-in accountability partner who you love so much you would love to see them succeed as much or more than yourself.  That is huge!  Having a spouse who supports your goals and has his/her own is a must in becoming fit.

Now, I have to say (sorry Hubby!) that my husband is not into fitness and nutrtion like I am.  The numbers of his macro nutrients don't make him giddy like mine do.  However, he has come to realize how good it feels to be healthy and what advantages it plays in our marriage and daily lives.  First of all, we have more energy.  That could mean that we can get up earlier to pray together, read together, or exercise together.  It also means we could have more energy for our kids.  We can be a better example of good health to our kids.  We can show them what it means to take care of the body God gave us.  It causes us to be more responsible and creative with our time.  That could mean being creative in how we fit a workout in or being more active as a family.  And, it's always nice  on our budget to NOT have to buy new clothes because we are growing out of ours!

With all those advantages (and many more) to living as a healthy couple said, it still is a challenge.  So, how do you do it?  Here are just a few things I have learned over these several years of loosing the weight together and keeping it *mostly* off...

How to Stay Fit in a Marriage

• Don't expect you won't gain some weight back.  When that happens, stop.  Look at how you're eating and how much you are being active.  Be honest with yourselves.  Are you spending the evenings on the couch with too many bowls of ice cream or *ahem* Schwan's Silvermint Ice Cream Bars?   Just because you may have gained 10, 15, or even 20 lbs back does not mean you've fallen off the wagon! It just means your wagon went down a rabbit trail and needs to be steered back in the right direction! And, because you lost the weight before, the chances are, you have an idea of what the right direction is!

• Make nutrition and exercise doable.  Let's face it, most people are pretty busy.  Add a spouse in the mix, then kids, or grandkids and you've got yourself many schedules and eating habits to include in your daily challenge to stay healthy.  Don't restrict yourself from too many things, unless absolutely medically necessary.  (Carb cycling is wonderful for not restricting yourself and still loosing weight, while gaining muscle and health! Read my post about it here!)  Don't commit to an hour at the gym if you can't.  Don't feel the pressure of having to go to the gym to workout!  Workout at home.  Invest in a few weights or research a HIIT program that requires no equipment so you have absolutely no excuse to get out of exercise.  Make your nutrition and fitness goals to be an everyday lifestyle change.  Something you can do EVERY SINGLE DAY without burden.  

• Hold each other accountable in a loving way, free of nagging.  If you seem to be sailing smooth when it comes to your eating habits or exercise and your spouse isn't, don't find reason to criticize.  Find opportunity to help.  Ask your spouse, "How can I help you be better?"  When the opportunity comes to just go out and get a burger vs. cooking a meal at home because everyone is tired and hungry, cook the meal together so it goes quicker.  Remind each other of the way you feel after eating a healthy meal at home compared to grabbing a burger in a drive-thru.  

• Always find ways to build each other up and encourage each other, not tear each other down.  Tearing down could even mean giving into a temptation together.  Be united in your goals to succeed.  Find ways to encourage with words while working out or complementing each other when you notice clothes fitting looser.  

• Pray for each other.  Praying for fitness of your spouse may seem like a small issue.  But, Christ says to bring everything to him in prayer.  EVERYTHING.  Pray together for each other.  God hears all His people's prayers.  He takes care of the sparrows (Luke 12:24), so why then would we find things in our lives too insignificant to bring to our mighty God in prayer?  

"...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made know to God."  Philippians 4:6

• And finally, just KEEP GOING.  There will be periods of time with one or both of you will feel the weight of your jobs, your kids, stress in your life----the weight of the world.  There will be days when you can't work out.  There will be days when you are sick and a fast food run seems like the only way to get dinner on the table.  That is okay.  As long as you, as a couple, keep the your goals in mind and know that, even if you are in the place in life where working out or eating healthy doesn't come easy, you can still strive to be the healthiest you can be. Together.  

Pinterest Fitness Day 8: Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers

I love tacos.  I love stuffed bell peppers.  Why not put them together?  A blogger over at Skinny Mom was brilliant enough to make a healthier version of just that.  I found the recipe through Pinterest a few weeks ago.  You can find the recipe at SkinnyMom.com.

I, however, don't really like ground turkey that much, so I used organic grass fed ground beef and quinoa.  The quinoa has a very similar texture to ground beef, so when mixed all in, you can hardly tell the difference. It really is delicious!  It also reduces the calories.

Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Red Quinoa
6 oz beef Broth (Low Sodium)
Trader Joe's Taco Seasoning
1/2 Onion, chopped
2 Green Bell Peppers
12 oz Ground Beef (Preferably Organic!)
1/2 Cup Light Shredded Cheese
1/2 Cup Salsa
Canola oil cooking spray
Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1)  Add quinoa, broth, and 1 Tbsp taco seasoning to pot. Bring to a boil and cook according to instructions on quinoa package (usually covered on low for 20-25 minutes).
2)  Cut peppers in half length-wise and clear out seeds.  Put them in a pot covered with water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove from pot carefully.
3)  Spray skillet with cooking oil and sauté onions until transparent.
4)  Add ground beef, 1/4 cup salsa, and 1-2 Tbsp taco seasoning (to taste).  Brown beef.  Turn off heat.
5)  Add quinoa and another 1/4 cup salsa to skillet and mix well.
6)  Turn on broiler in oven.
7)  Fill pepper halves with beef and quinoa mixture.  Top with 1/2 of the cheese.
8)  Put in broiler until cheese is slightly brown.
9)  Top with remaining cheese and a dollop of Greet yogurt.  Enjoy!

Pinterest Fitness Day 3: Medicine Ball Workout

I have a medicine ball but I've rarely used it in the last several years. I love the idea of being able to toss a weight around. It makes the workout fun. I found a really good workout on Pinterest that is supposed to go with Alicia Keys' Girl on Fire song, but I just turned on my favorite "80's Cardio" station on Pandora and I was good to go! I did these exercises two times through and finished in just under 30 minutes. I did the workout this morning in my backyard in the sunshine. This workout turned out to be so much fun! I loved the Medicine Ball Overhead Slams. Seriously a fun exercise! I would recommend warming up your shoulders before this workout. Now, if you are not sure what some of the exercises are, I didn't know either and did some research.  Below are some videos of exactly how the exercises should be done! Also, check out BiteSizeWellness.com for their Music Monday workouts!

Medicine Ball Squat Toss:

Standing Oblique Twist:

Medicine Ball Overhead Slams:

Lateral Medicine Ball Hops:

Diagonal Lifts with Medicine Ball:

Medicine Ball Halos:
 The video wouldn't upload, so visit this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TyTw2P4vJc to view how to complete this exercise.

Do you own a medicine ball?  If so, how often do you use it?  If you don't own one, it is a fun tool to add to your workout!

Pinterest Fitness Day 2: The Ninety-Nine

I must admit that I think whoever came up with The Ninety-Nine workout is crazy. But, I suppose I enjoy the challenge. I only completed the 99 set and the 88 set. That took me nearly 30 minutes. I thought I was going to die, especially during the leg lifts! I also added a few more push-ups at end of both sets. I hope to be able to complete through the 77 set next week! I estimate that the whole of this workout would take an hour and a half, and as a busy mom of three, I like to keep my workouts short and sweet...well sweet may not be the right word, but you get the point. This whole workout is a bit long for me, but completing the first three sets would make the workout about 40 minutes for me, which is perfect. Are you up for trying out this workout? Have you ever tried it and completed it? If so, I want to shake your hand!

Pinterest Fitness Day 1: At Home CrossFit

If you fail, try, try again.  And again.  And again.  (I still am a crooked L, but there is always room for improvement!)

Inspired by many Facebook friends, friends, and friends of friends who are into CrossFit, the first workout I wanted to try on Pinterest was an at-home CrossFit workout.  I always liked the idea of climbing up walls or standing on my hands, but that certainly takes strength!

The pin I used led me to Shape.com's Home CrossFit Workout. The article laid out several exercises, instructed me to do each exercise for 16 reps as fast as possible, with the bear crawl in between each exercise. Even though I was used to many of the exercises used in the article, it certainly was a challenge doing those exercises as fast as I could. The most challenging exercises were the box jump and the L Stand. I completed the exercises in a little over 6 minutes, if you don't count all my attempts to do the L Stand! By the way, the L Stand made ab muscles hurt that I had no idea I had!  I look forward to improving! The next time I do this workout, I'll do it at least 3 times through.